Set up two separate phones: one phone which will be used by you and a second one children can use. Your circle time area becomes a 911 dispatch centre. Whenever a child wishes to ask a question, have him dial 911 and quickly say, "I have a question!" Respond, "911, how may I help you?" You may also collect various objects related to safety. Present them to your group during your discussion period. If you wish, you could also deposit the objects throughout the daycare and invite children to discover them one by one.

AREA SETUP

(Open thematic poster-911) Print, laminate, decorate the walls of your daycare with all kinds of posters, signs, and drawings related to 911 services. You could, for example, set up a pretend fire or a mannequin dressed as a firefighter in one corner. Hang ribbons of orange, yellow, and red crepe paper from the ceiling to represent fire.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. Use them to decorate the daycare or a specific corner. (Open picture game-911) Print, laminate, and store in a Ziploc bag or in your thematic bins.

Stationery-911You may use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open stationery-911) Print.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Traffic lightsHave children stand in a straight line at one end of the daycare. Hold red, yellow, and green pieces of cardboard in your hand. Children must stop when you show the red card, walk when you display the yellow card, and run when you show them the green card. The first child to reach the opposite side of the daycare leads the game for the following round.

Stop, drop, and roll!This game teaches children the three steps they must follow if their clothing is on fire. They must first stop, then drop to the floor (protecting their face with their hands) and roll around until the fire is extinguished.

911 game(Open game-911) Use chairs, balance beams, tunnels, etc. to create an obstacle course. Throughout the obstacle course, deposit illustrations of objects. Some of the objects are safe while others are unsafe. Children complete the obstacle course with a basket. When they reach a card, they must add it to their basket only if it is safe. When they reach the end, check to make sure children only collected safe items.

Crawl under the smokeExplain what we should do if there is a fire in our home or daycare. Have children practice exiting the daycare while crawling under the smoke, with their head held high. Hold a bed sheet at knee-level to represent smoke. Children will want to practice over and over again!

Move forward or wait?(Open poster-intersections) Teach children the importance of crossing the street at intersections and waiting for the pedestrian sign to light up. Use the pedestrian symbol and the hand symbol. Practice in hallways or staircases.

Listen to your heart(Open picture-Heart) Explain how our heart is like our body's motor. Invite children to hop to the sound of fast-paced music. When the music stops, have them find a partner and encourage them to listen to their friend's heartbeat. Help them realize that the more they move, the faster their heart beats and that is why calm periods are necessary after energetic games...their heart needs to rest.

My lungs function well(Open picture-Lungs) Use drinking straws to blow bubbles in water or to blow on crumpled balls of paper.

Doctor, I am hurt!Provide toilet paper rolls. Help children wrap the toilet paper around their friend's head, arms, and legs to represent casts or bandages.

Stuffed animal hospitalPlace all your stuffed animals in one big pile. Open a stuffed animal hospital. Set cushions on the floor to represent small hospital beds. Provide bandages, doctor kits, pretend syringes, and anything else you have on hand which can be used by your little veterinarians. (Open poster-teddy bear hospital)

Three-legged movesDress up as a nurse. Invite children to find a partner and have them stand side by side. Use a piece of fabric or a scarf to tie one child's right leg to the other child's left leg. Have children walk, hop, skate, crawl, or run. They will quickly understand how difficult it is to move without their two legs.

How tall am I?Have children stand against a wall and make markings to show how tall they are. Write their name beside their measurement.

My stomach growlsHave children lie down on the floor. Ask them to place their head on a friend's stomach and listen to the sounds.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

A walk in the forestChoose a nearby location and go for a stroll: forest, pedestrian path, field, etc. Before you leave, ask children to help you prepare a bag with everything you need to ensure your walk is safe: first aid kit, blanket, water, compass, etc. Remind them of safety rules: watch where they are going, avoid eating plants, stay together, etc. As a group, identify methods you can use to find your way back to the daycare. Show children how to use a compass.

Safe walkGo for a walk with your group in your neighborhood. Encourage them to notice signs, traffic lights, and/or dangerous situations. When you return, ask children to draw pictures of the dangerous things they saw.

Security in action!Whisper a situation which requires specific safety measures into a child's ear. The child mimes the actions which are required for this activity. For example, for swimming in a pool, he could walk slowly or pretend to put water wings on his arms. The other children can guess and name the actions.

I am a firemanAllow children to manipulate a hose and pretend they are firemen. You could also use buckets. Children stand in line and pass them down. The last child splashes the "fire".

Fire drill(Open poster-Fire drill) This is the perfect theme to practice evacuating the daycare in case of a fire or other emergency.

Extinguishing the fireUse chalk to draw flames on the sidewalk or driveway. Invite children to put the fire out using spray bottles.

ACTIVITIES INVOLVING PARENTS

Ask parents if they or someone they know is a policeman, fireman, ambulance technician, security guard, doctor, nurse, etc. If so, invite them to come discuss the importance of their profession with your group. Ask a few parents to leave their car seats at the daycare. You will need three car seats, one for newborns, one for young children, and a booster seat. Measure and weigh the children in your group to verify that they are using the correct type of car seat. Ask children which type of seat they have in their car and make adjustments if necessary.

Magnifying glass game(Open magnifying glass game-911) Print and laminate the board game and the cards. Cut them out and store them in a box or in a Ziploc bag. Children pick a card and search for the item on the board game, using a magnifying glass. Once they have found the item, they deposit it in the correct square, on the board game.

I am calling 911(Open poster-911) Print. Teach children how to dial 911. Let them play with telephones or make holes in the bottom of two metal cans (frozen juice cans work well too). Make sure the edges are not sharp. Have children glue red paper on the cans. Thread either end of a 15 cm long rope through the holes. Stretch the rope out and show children how to communicate with 911 dispatchers. Ideally, caregivers should play the role of the dispatcher and ask questions. This game helps children memorize the emergency number. This may also be a good time to teach children their own phone number.

Symbols for dangerous products(Open dangerous products) Collect several empty containers of potentially dangerous products. Show children the different pictograms which indicate that the products are dangerous. Have children associate the symbols.

Mime gameWrite short sentences on small pieces of paper (I am extinguishing a fire or I am climbing the ladder, for example). Deposit the sentences in a bowl. Children take turns picking a sentence and miming the action. The other children must guess the action. The child who guesses successfully is the next player.

Follow the rulesSelect one child to be the policeman. The policeman must stop the drivers who do not respect the rules and signs.

Fireman/policeman for a daySelect one child to be fireman or policeman for a day. The child can wear a special uniform (or just a hat). He is responsible for supervising his friends. Make sure each child has a turn.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Campfire

Prepare red and orange Jell-O with your group. Cut the Jell-O into cubes and combine the two colors together to represent fire. Children can use a can of whipped cream to put the fire out.

My fire truck sandwich

Cut a square piece of bread in two. Cut one half in two. You will have one rectangle and two squares. The rectangle will represent the fire truck's body. Place one square in front and one on top to represent the cabin. Combine cream cheese and red food coloring. Spread mixture over the truck. Use two round crackers to represent the wheels and pretzels to make a ladder. Finally, add a jellybean to the top to represent the flashing light.

ARTS & CRAFTS

My smoke detectorYou will need two medium-sized paper plates per child. Have children decorate their plates. Assemble the two plates together using staples or adhesive tape. Ask children to add a red button and they will have their very own smoke detectors. Show children the smoke detectors which are located in the daycare.

My emergency vehicle

Give each child a large cardboard box (or have them pair up with a friend). Let them create their emergency vehicle using poster paint, paper, cardboard, glue, and various recycled materials.

Light my fireDeposit a sheet of paper in the bottom of an empty shoebox. Add one drop of red paint, one drop of orange paint, and one drop of yellow paint. Add a few marbles. Let children manipulate the box. As the marbles roll around, they will create flame-like prints on the paper. When you are done, remove the paper and hang to dry.

Shape transformationPrecut several colorful shapes (squares, circles, etc.) Ask children to glue the shapes to create an emergency vehicle.

My Dalmatian mascot(Open model-Dalmatian) Print for each child. Explain how Dalmatians are the mascot of firemen. Cut the Dalmatian out and glue it onto a piece of red construction paper. Invite children to press their finger in poster paint or on a stamp pad to add their Dalmatian's spots. When they are done, encourage them to count the number of spots their Dalmatian has.

911Cut a huge 911 sign out of heavy cardboard. As a group, decorate the numbers with red paint or fluorescent paint. Add sparkles to make it even more visible. Hang the sign within the daycare.

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